Preloaded roll frame structure



3, 1968 J. FR. FROHLING ETAL 3,

PRELOADED ROLL FRAME STRUCTURE Filed April 26, 1965 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Feb. l3, 1968 J. FR. FROHLING QETAL 3,368,331

PRELOADED ROLL FRAME STRUCTURE Filed April 26, 1965 2 Sheets-sheet 2 Fig. 3 I m H I iflliTm H I k n1 l I u H im I I mum H I l United States Patent 4 Claims. 61. 72 23s ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A roll frame structure which includes a frame closed in itself with upper and lower bearing means adjustably mounted in said frame structure and respectively supporting roller means including work rollers. The frame structure is provided with preloading means supported by a lower beam of said frame structure for preloading the frame structure, while roll adjustment means are provided independent of the preloading means for adjusting the rolling pressure of the work rollers. The roll adjustment means includes interengaging teeth operatively interengagin g each other when the frame structure is assembled and operable automatically to disengage each other in response to the lower bearing means being loaded onto rail means on the frame structure to thereby permit withdrawal of the upper and lower bearing means as a unit without any disassembly operations on said control means.

The present invention relates to a preloaded roll frame structure. Preloaded roll frame structures are known in which the bearing housings carrying rollers are pressed against each other by means of pull rods and hydraulic cylinder piston systems or screw connections. With roll frame structures of this type, the roller adjustment is effected by turning eccentric bearing bushings in which the rollers are journalled. The preloading forces in these constructions are conveyed directly from the pulling elements onto the bearing housing so that mutual penetrations are required. Such an arrangement, however, frequently affects the operations required in connection with the exchange of rollers. In particular, when elements of relatively great dimensions are involved, it is not possible to lift the entire preloaded roller frame structure from its place and to replace it by a second completely built-together roller frame structure as is the case with smaller installations of the type involved. Consequently, in such instances, the roller frame structure has to be dismounted at the spot and, due to the mutual penetrations of the parts subjected to pressure and pull during the operation, the parts subjected to pull have either to be lowered or the parts subjected to pressure have to be lifted. The devices for producing the roller adjusting movements also have to be disassembled inasmuch as they are firmly connected with the bearing housings for structural reasons. Such operations require considerable time and represent a material loss in time.

It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide a roll frame structure which will overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

It is another object of this invention to provide a pre loaded roll frame structure which will permit a horizontal removal of the installation unit comprising rollers and bearing housings therefor.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a preloaded roll frame structure as set forth in the preceding paragraph which, when horizontally moving out the installation unit, will permit the device for the roller adjus'tment to stay at its place while permitting a simple disengagement and engagement of said adjusting device with 3,368,381 Patented Feb. 13, 1968 and from the rotatable eccenter bushings for the journalling of the roller bearings.

These and other objects and advantages of the invention will appear more clearly from the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is an end view, partly in section, of a roll frame structure according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 illustrates a detail for journalling the adjustable roller.

FIG. 3 illustrates a train of roll frame structures according to the invention.

FIG. 4 is a modification of the arrangement shown in FIG. 3 differing therefrom in that each two adjacent roller frame structures has a vertical column in common.

With roll frame structures of the above mentioned general type, it is suggested according to the present invention, for purposes of conveying the preloading forces, to provide a frame surrounding the bearing housings, which frame comprises columns subjected to pull and transverse beams subjected to bending stresses, the device for producing the preloading forces being supported by one of the said transverse beams. According to a practical embodiment of the invention, the device for producing the preloading forces may include, for instance, hydraulic cylinder piston means associated with the lower transverse beam.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the arrangement shown therein comprises two substantially vertical columns 3 which, when the structure is in operation, are subjected to pulling stresses. These columns 3 are provided with guiding surfaces for receiving therebetween a lower bearing housing or roll chock 1 for a lower roller 17 and the upper bearing housing or roll chock 2 for the upper roller 18. Columns 3 are interconnected by an upper transverse beam 4 and a lower transverse beam 5 connected to said columns 3 in any convenient manner, for instance by screw connections 6 so that said columns 3 together with said transverse beams 5 form a closed frame. In contrast to heretofore known preloaded roll frame structures, it is not intended according to the present invention to permit the preloading forces to act directly upon the columns 3 subjected to pulling stresses. Consequently, the frame formed by parts 3 to 5 can without difficulty be designed so as to be able properly to resist outer forces.

Rollers 21 and 22 represent the work rollers between which the material to be rolled is passed.

For purposes of producing the preloading forces, there may be employed hydraulic cylinder means 7 arranged in the lower transverse beam 5 and having reciprocably mounted therein pistons 7 with piston rods 8 forming threaded spindles. Said piston rods are adapted to press the two bearing housings 1 and 2 for the rollers against each other and against the upper transverse beam 4. After the pressing strokes of said pistons have been completed, nuts 9 engaging the threaded piston rods 8 may be tightened so as to engage lower transverse beam 5 whereby in spite of relieving the hydraulic cylinder piston system 7, 7 the frame structure will be maintained under preload.

It will be appreciated that when the preloading forces are relieved, in other words, when nuts 9 are loosened, it is possible to lower the bearing housing 1, 2 with rollers 17, 18 carried thereby and to set these units down on rails 10 which are carried by columns 3 for permitting a convenient horizontal removal of the units from the frame structure.

More specifically, when it is desired to effect an eX- change of the rollers, first fluid pressure is introduced into cylinder 7 below pistons 7'. Thereupon, the nuts 9 are loosened and are screwed in upward direction while the fluid beneath the pistons 7 is gradually released from the cylinders 7. In this way, the lower bearing housing 1 is lowered onto rails which are fixedly connected to columns 3. Thereupon, the horizontal withdrawal of the units carrying rollers 17 and 18 can be effected. It will thus be appreciated that, whereas with heretofore known roll frame structures of the type involved, a separate lifting device was necessary for the said supporting rails, according to the present invention, the two OperatiOnS, namely (a) relieving the roll frame structure, and (b) lowering the assembly units onto the rigidly arranged rail 10,

are combined to a single operation. The removal and reintroduction of the complete installation set can be effected in customary manner.

For purposes of roller adjustment, according to the present invention, the upper transverse beam t is equipped with a hydraulic cylinder plunger system 11, 12. Plunger 11 is provided with a rack 12a normally meshing with the teeth 14 of a bushing 13 which is cccentrically and rotatably journalled in the bearing housing 2 guided between columns 3. When lowering the installation units 1 and 2, the teeth 14 forming, for instance a toothed segment, will disengage the teeth of rack 12a which fact will greatly facilitate the removal of the units 1, 2.

On the other hand, in view of rack 12a normally meshing with teeth 14, it will be appreciated that when plunger 12 is subjected to fluid pressure, rack 12a will turn eccentric bushing 13 thereby adjusting roller stud 18a of roller 18 accordingly so that roller 18 will exert the desired pressure upon the rollers 21 and 22 between which the material to be rolled is passed. In other words, the roller gap is controlled by the adjustment of roller 18.

As mentioned above, when lowering the installation units 1 and 2, the teeth 14 will disengage rack 12a so that a simple withdrawal of these units can be effected while the fluid operable cylinder piston system 11, 12, 12a remains unaffected and in place. This arrangement considerably facilitates an exchange of the exchangeable roller units. A proper arrangement of the teeth plane between parts 12a and 14 will permit a free passage of the upper bearing housing 2 below rack 12a of plunger 12. The arrangement according to the present invention may furthermore be provided with intermediate plates or shims for additionally correcting the roller gap if, for instance, due to a greater wear of the rollers, the feeding movement by means of the eccentric bushing 13 should be insufficient.

The roll frame structure according to the present invention also lends itself to the building up of trains of roll frame structures according to the present invention. Such trains yield particular advantages with regard to stability and prevention of undesired deformations in the frame structure. Such an arrangement is shown, for instance, in FIG. 3 according to which there is provided a three-frame tandem arrangement which is characterized in that the upper and lower transverse beams 15, 16 are common to all of said frame structures. With these structural elements which are subjected to bending stresses by the preloading forces and the rolling forces, the tandem arrangement as shown in FIG. 3 will be subject to clamping moments which are particularly favorable with regard to the bending line, i.e. form changes.

The arrangement of FIG. 3 may further be modified by the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 according to which each frame structure has one column in common with the adjacent frame structure. In other words, each column 3a is common to two adjacent frame structures while all of the frame structures have in common the upper transverse beam 19 and the lower transverse beam 20. Such an arrangement represents a considerable saving in material and space.

It is, of course, to be understood that the present invention is, by no means, limited to the particular arrangements and constructions shown in the drawings but also comprises any modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

What We claim is:

1. A roll frame structure, which includes: horizontally spaced vertical columns, upper and lower transverse beams spaced fro-m each other in vertical direction and respectively interconnecting said columns at the upper and lower end portions thereof and together with said columns forming a closed frame structure, upper and lower bearing means supported by said frame structure between said columns and said upper and lower beams, roller means supported by said upper and lower bearing means, said roller means including rollers for passing therebetween the material to be rolled while exerting a rolling pressure thereon, preloading means supported by said lower beam and operable when moved in a first direction to move said upper and lower bearing means relatively toward each other for preloading said frame structure at a pressure exceeding the rolling pressure of said rollers, supporting rail means arranged between said lower beam and said lower bearing means for supporting the latter when said lower bearing means is moved in response to the movement of said preloading means in a second direction opposite to said first direction, and roller adjustment means independent of said preloading means for adjusting the rolling pressure of said work rollers, said roller adjustment means including interengaging means which are operatively interengaged when said frame structure is assembled and which means are disengaged automatically in response to said lower bearing means being lowered onto said rail means to thereby permit withdrawal of said upper and lower bearing means as a unit without disassembling operations on said roller r adjustment means.

2. An arrangement according to claim 1, in which said roller adjustment means includes a cylinder supported by said upper beam, a fluid operable plunger reciprocable in said cylinder and provided with a rack, an eccentric sleeve journalled in said upper bearing means and provided with teeth meshing with said rack, and a roller journalled in said eccentric sleeve.

3. In combination: a plurality of pairs of horizontally spaced vertical columns, upper and lower transverse beam means spaced from each other in vertical direction and common to all of said columns and respectively interconnecting said vertical columns at the upper and lower end portions thereof and together with said columns forming a plurality of closed frame structures, each of said frame structures comprising upper and lower bearing means supported by the respective frame structure between two columns pertaining thereto and between said upper and lower beam means, each of said pairs of bearing means including work rollers for passing therebetween the material to be rolled while exerting a rolling pressure thereon, each of said frame structures also including preloading means supported by the respective lower beam means and operable when moved in one direction to move the respective adjacent pair of bearing means toward each other and to preload the respective frame structure at a pressure exceeding the rolling pressure of the rollers pertaining thereto, each of said frame structures also includ ing supporting rail means arranged between the respective adjacent lower beam means and lower bearing means for supporting the latter when the latter is moved in response to the movement of said preloading means in a second direction opposite to said first direction, each of said frame structures furthermore including roller adjustment means including interengaging means which are operatively engaged when said frame structure is assembled and which means are disengaged automatically in response to said lower bearing means being lowered onto said rail means to thereby permit withdrawal of said upper and lower bearing means as a unit without disassembling operations on said roller adjustment means.

5 4. An arrangement according to claim 3, in which each 3,247,697 4/ 1966 Cozzo. tWo adjacent frame structures have one of their columns 3,256,728 6/1966 Calberkamp.

FOREIGN PATENTS in common.

1,012,853 12/1965 Great Britain.

References Cited V UNITED STATES PATENTS 1 422 085 7/1922 Davies et a1. RICHARD J. HERBST, Primary Examiner.

A. RUDERMAN, Assistant Examiner.

1,492,533 4/1924 Poole. 1,773,737 8/1930 Lindquist. 

